Difference Between Meringue and Pavlova

Meringue and Pavlova are desserts that are very similar in taste and looks. In fact, there are people who think they are just two names of the same dessert that is most popular in Australia and New Zealand, the two countries where it is a national cuisine. However, despite similarities, there are differences between Meringue and Pavlova that will be talked about in this article.

Meringue

Meringue is a dessert that is made from eggs and sugar after whipping the whites of eggs and mixing sugar along with an acid and vinegar. To bind the ingredients together some gelatin may be used. Though the origins of this dessert are unknown, the word appeared as a dessert type of confection in a cook book, in 1692. The secret to this dessert lies in making the whipping of eggs and sugar so tight and hard that it can be used to make peaks.

There are different types of meringues with Italian meringue made using egg whites and boiling syrup of sugar. French make meringue by beating egg whites with powdered sugar while Swiss people heat egg whites in bain-marie and then whisked to make it fluffy till it cools down. Three different types of peaks are made using meringue depending upon the requirement. These can be soft, hard, or peaks having in between consistency.

Pavlova

Pavlova is the name of the dessert that was invented in honor of Anna Pavlova, the Great Russian ballerina when she visited the countries of Australia and New Zealand in the year 1920. This is an easy to make recipe that is very delicious and is very popular in these two countries. People make this dessert during holidays and special occasions and eat with fervor. The dish is made by beating egg whites briskly and then adding caster sugar to turn it into a hard consistency to allow it to be used to make stiff peaks. The major ingredient in a Pavlova that turns it crispy and chewy is corn flour though the inside of this dish remains soft and pliable. It is the outer shell of Pavlova that is hard and crispy because of this corn flour.

What is the difference between Meringue and Pavlova?

• Meringue is made using egg whites and sugar while corn flour is also used while making Pavlova.

• It is the addition of corn flour that makes the outer shell of Pavlova crisp and chewy.

• Pavlova is a meringue based dessert created in honor of the Great Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova in 1920.

• Pavlova is a part of the national cuisine of the twin countries Australia and New Zealand.